The present invention relates to inflatable safety restraint systems for vehicles and more specifically to an air bag deployment door.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,833 illustrates a deployment door for an air bag safety restraint system comprising a hinge located on one side of the deployment door and a tear seam located on the other. This door can be secured in opening of an instrument panel by bolting the hinge side and tear seam side to cooperating portions of the instrument panel. Alternatively, the door can be bolted to a reaction can member which is often part of an air bag safety restraint system.
Rivet attachment in the prior art results in an increased stress load distribution in the hinge section. The indicated design is difficult to manufacture and to install because of the fragile nature of the tear seam design.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a deployment door that is easily attached to a instrument panel or other similar structure within the passenger compartment of a vehicle.
Accordingly, the invention comprises an apparatus for an air bag safety restraint system comprising a deployment door, a chute adapted to fit within an opening within a component of a vehicle and receive a deployment door, the chute, includes a first side and a second side. The second side includes a wall portion and first means defining a snap-fit mechanism. The deployment door comprises a substrate including a cover member, a hinge member formed along one side of the cover member, a bracket member extending away from the hinge member and is adapted to be mounted to the first side of the chute. A flange extends from the cover member from a second side thereof and includes a tear seam between the second side and the flange. The tear seam being stressed and broken upon inflation of the air bag, permitting the cover member to rotate about the hinge member, permitting the air bag to deploy. The flange includes second means for engaging the snap-fit mechanism.
Many other objects and purposes of the invention will be clear from the following detailed description of the drawings.